Concrete grade beam support



1970 v J. s. TRUDEAU, JR 3,545,149

CONCRETE GRADE BEAM SUPPORT Filed Aug. 26, 1968 L 2, 32 A! fi 44 4 INVENTOR JOSEPH S. TRUDEAUiTR /QQM fiW #22144 ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,545,149 CONCRETE GRADE BEAM SUPPORT Joseph S. Trudeau, Jr., 28158 Fontana, Southfield, Mich. 48075 Filed Aug. 26, 1968, Ser. No. 755,241 Int. Cl. E0211 27/00; E04b 1/14 US. Cl. 52169 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A concrete trench footing grade beam for a building structure, comprising a hanger bracket attached to the wall of the building structure and having a supporting leg depending therefrom downwardly towards said wall to support said bracket in horizontal position, said hanger bracket adapted to be embedded in the concrete trench footing to support and retain said trench footing against said wall.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present invention relates to improvements in building structures and in particular to a self-supporting trench footing grade beam construction as used to bridge the back fill adjacent concrete foundation walls, for use as a foundation for further building additions such as the walls of garages, porches, and other rooms over unexcavated areas.

Description of the prior art The conventional method for making trench footing grade beams consist of further excavating the trench adjacent the outer surface of the foundation wall and then laying a lead wall or stub wall foundation of brick or concrete blocks for support of the trench footing. This practice necessitates the pouring of a strip of concrete foundation, somewhat removed from the concrete base foundation of the building to clear the drain tile and other underground pipes located outside and adjacent the foundation wall, to support a cemented brick or block stub wall. Construction of such a conventional trench footing support or grade beam is costly and time consuming, and the present invention provides novel means to support and connect a poured concrete trench footing to the foundation wall without the necessity of having to erect a block lead or stub wall.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a novel hanger bracket constructed and arranged to be attached to the foundation wall of a building structure in such a way as to extend therefrom, and which has a dependent leg extending downwardly towards the foundation wall to maintain the bracket in its position. The bracket is adapted to support and to be embedded within a poured concrete trench footing in a self-supporting manner. Additionally, means may be provided in the hanger bracket to receive and retain conventional reinforcing rods for the concrete.

Accordingly, the primary object of the present invention is to provide a self-supporting trench footing grade beam construction for a building structure by use of a noncollapsible bracket means attached to a foundation wall and effecting the sole support for the trench footing.

Another object of the present invention is to improve trench footing construction by providing novel bracket means adapted to support a trench footing and provided with means to retain said bracket in position when attached to a foundation wall and said bracket further provided with means to receive and retain reinforcing rods extending from said bracket.

Further objects and novel features of this invention will present themselves in the following detailed description which proceeds with reference to the appended drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a partial cross section through a foundation wall and adjoining trench footing grade beam support incorporating the present novel invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective illustration of the present novel hanger bracket in the attached position on the foundation wall;

FIG. 3 is a separate side view of the bracket shown in FIGS. 1 and 2;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the bracket of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged detailed view of the bracket bolt anchor embedded within the concrete of the foundation wall.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 illustrates in cross section a foundation wall 10 which conventionally is set within the confines of the ground excavation 12 to form an enclosure for the lower level, basement, cellar or the like, of a building structure whose concrete base floor is shown at 14. The foundation wall 10 is supported peripherally on a conventional concrete base or footing 16.

Although the foundation wall 10 is indicated in the drawings as being made from poured concrete it may be erected with concrete blocks, brick, stone or the like, without the need to modify the structure of the present no'vel invention.

The outside of the foundation wall 10 may be covered according to conventional practice with a sealant coat 18 such as mastix or the like, to prevent ground moisture from seeping through the concrete. The upper portion of the foundation wall 10 is provided with a ledge 20 usually provided for the erection and support of above-ground wall structure such as a brick or frame wall or the like.

In certain instances it may be desired to construct a trench footing grade beam 22 in the form of a concrete slab immediately adjoining the foundation wall 10 and extending therefrom to be used as a base for preplanned additions to the building. This trench grade beam footing, in a sound structure, must be square to the foundation wall 10 and must be securely connected thereto. The problems in its construction is further complicated by the necessity of the trench grade beam footing having to bridge the space remaining between the excavation 12 and the foundation wall 10. Thus, the trench grade beam footing must be erected in such a Way as to prevent it from sagging adjacent the foundation wall due to the noncompacted and thus non-supporting provided by the ex cavation 12 space, to provide an adequate grade beam.

According to the present invention, to support the trench footing grade beam 22, a novel hanger bracket 26 is provided which comprises a vertical portion 28, preferably about 16" long, adapted to abut flatly against the wall 10 immedaitely below the ledge 20. From the upper end of the vertical portion 28 a flange 30 extends rearwardly and at a right angle thereto and is adapted to lie upon the ledge 20 to initially support the bracket on the ledge. A horizontal bracket portion 32 extends at a right angle from the lower end of the vertical portion 28. The horizontal bracket portion 32 is of sufiicient length as determined by the dimension of the space to be spanned, and will normally be about 24" long. Bracket portion 32 has a downwardly and rearwardly extending integral strut portion 34 which slants underneath the horizontal portion 32 rearwardly at an angle and towards the wall 10 with its edge 36 adapted to bite into the surface of the wall 10, preferably at about 18 below the level of the portion 32, to thus support the bracket portion 32 when a load is placed thereon.

The hanger bracket 26 is secured to the foundation wall by any conventional means such as a threaded insert 38 shown in detail in FIG. 5, embedded into the ledge 20 during erection of the wall 10. The bracket 26 is put in place against thewall 10 such that the flange 30 rests upon the ledge 20, and a bolt 40 is screwed through the flange 30 into the insert 38 to thus secure the bracket to the foundation wall 10. As illustrated, the insert 38 is provided with a neck portion 42 by which the insert will be inseparably locked within the concrete of the wall 10 to prevent it from ripping out if a load is placed on the bracket 26.

It will be understood that a number of these brackets 26 may be placed at spaced distances along the foundation wall 10 as may be required by the number of trench footings desired. A

One or more holes are preferably provided at the junction of the horizontal bracket portion 32 and strut portion 34 for the reception of reinforcing rods 44, which will then extend from the bracket in the direction of the horizontal bracket portion 32. The rods 44 are placed such that their inner ends extend immediately underneath the bracket portion 32 to be supported in horizontal position against the underside 33 thereof by means of the larger Weight of the outwardly extending portions of the reinforcing rods. The rods 44 may be welded, wired, or otherwise secured to the bracket 26 if desired.

The hanger bracket 26 is preferably made in one piece from a strip of metal having a sufiicient plate thickness and, as seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, has a width dimension, referably about 3", sufficient to provide an adequate supporting area and load carrying surface as required by the trench footing grade beam 22. The width dimension of the strip of metal from which the bracket is made may also determine the number of reinforcing rods which can be supported by the bracket.

In constructing the trench footing grade beam 22, the space 24, defined by the wall of the excavation 12 and the foundation wall 10, and which provides space for drain pipes 46 or other external components, will be back-filled with gravel, sand, or like loose material, up to grade level, and then the perpendicular shallower trench will be dug to the level indicated at 50 for the concrete of the future trench footing grade beam 22 to be poured therein. After the hanger bracket or brackets 26 together with the reinforcing rods 44 have been put in place on the foundation wall 10 as described heretofore, concrete is poured into the trench to the level of the ledge 20, as seen in FIG. 1. The hanger bracket or brackets 26 will then be embedded within the concrete and as the concrete settles and hardens the load exerted on the bracket surface 32 and reinforcing rods 44 will cause the edge 36 of the strut portion 34 to bite into the surface of the foundation wall 10 and, due to its angular position, prevents vertical displacement of the horizontal bracket portion 32 and reinforcing rods 44. Since the poured concrete flows into the space between the horizontal bracket portion 32 and the strut portion 34, an intimate and inseparable lock is provided between the trench footing grade beam 22 and the bracket 26 upon hardening of the concrete and, due to the secured positioning of the bracket 26 on the foundation Wall 10, the trench footing grade beam 22 will be securely held squarely against the wall 10 to form an effective grade beam, and even if the gravel or ground underneath should settle or collapse, the concrete trench footing grade beam will remain immovably in place and thus provides in conjunction with the bracket 26 a self-supporting structure.

CONCLUSION By the present invention, an improved novel trench footing grade beam support for a building structure is provided which is self-supporting and eliminates the need 4 of a brick or block structure for support of the trench footing.

The present novel hanger bracket to support the trench footing grade beam can be easily mass-produced in'any desired sizes as may be required by the desired load capacity and no specific tools are necessary at the construction site to attach the hanger brackets to the foundation wall.

The present invention may be embodied in other forms and structures without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof, therefore, the present embodiment is considered in all respects as illustrative only and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description.

I claim:

1. A foundation construction for a building structure comprising an excavation having a side surface, a fundation wall within the confines of said excavation and spaced from the side surface of said excavation, a backfilled space defined by the distance between said foundation wall and said side surface of said excavation, said foundation wall having a ledge on the backfilled side, a selfsupporting concrete footing structure defining a grade beam having means intimately united with said foundation wall and extending longitudinally therefrom across said backfilled space, said means comprising at least one hanger bracket embedded within said concrete footing and disposed adjacent said foundation wall, said hanger bracket having means supporting said hanger bracket on said ledge, said bracket effecting a permanent rigid support of said footing on said foundation wall.

2. In the foundation construction as defined in claim 1, said hanger bracket being provided with means receiving and retaining reinforcing rods extended through said footing.

3. In the foundation construction as defined in claim 1, said hanger bracket having a portion extending horizontally outwardly from said foundation Wall, and a depending leg portion defining a strut extending angularly from the outer end of said horizontal portion and towards said foundation wall for engagement thereon.

4. In the foundation construction as defined in claim 1, said hanger bracket having a flange portion arranged to overlie said ledge, and securing means embedded within said foundation wall engaged by fastening means extending through said flange portion into said securing means retaining said hanger bracket on said foundation wall.

5. In the foundation construction as defined in claim 4, said securing means comprising a threaded insert receiving said fastening means, said threaded insert having a neck portion resisting outward movement of said threaded insert from said foundation wall upon load application on said hanger bracket.

6. For use in a building structure having a foundation wall disposed within an excavation, the combination comprising a concrete footing a portion of which is adapted to span the space between the foundation wall and the side surface of the excavation, a hanger bracket embedded in said footing within said portion, reinforcing rods united with said hanger bracket embedded in said footing, a flange on said hanger bracket attaching said hanger bracket to said foundation wall, and a strut portion de pending from said hanger bracket engaging with said foundation wall at a point substantially below said flange attachment.

7. In the combination defined in claim 6, said concrete footing being held in intimate contact with said foundation wall by means of said hanger bracket supporting said footing across the width of said space of said excavation.

8. The structure as defined in claim 1 in which said bracket member comprises a flat strip of material bent at spaced locations along its length to provide a main support bracket portion in normally horizontal position one end of which extends into a vertical abutment por- References Cited tion having a flange at its end at a right angle thereto, the

other end of said main support bracket portion forming a UNITED STATES PATENTS bight section extending into a depending leg portion de- 1,155,461 10/1915 Barton 52--707 fining a strut extending in an angular direction rearwardly 5 2,497,887 2/ 1950 Hilpert 52707 and downwardly underneath said main support bracket portion, said bight section being provided with means re- FOREIGN PATENTS ceiving a reinforcing member supported by said main 144 389 6/1920 Great Britain 52 283 support bracket portion adapted for extension into said 196337 5/1965 S d 235 concrete footing. 10 We en Structure. as claims, inlwhkh the HENRY c. SUTHERLAND, Primary Examiner end of said depending leg portion is provided with an edge biting into a wall structure upon installation of said L. RIDGlLL, Assistant a in r bracket to support and maintain said main support bracket portion in the horizontal position. 5

10. The structure as defined in claim 8, in which said 677 reinforcing member is supported in a position parallel to said main support bracket portion.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3,545 149 Dated Dec. 8, 1970 InVentor(s) Joseph S. Trudeau It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 2, line 43, delete "grade beam" and insert it to appear after "footing".

Column 2, line 47, delete "grade beam" and insert it to appear after "footing".

Column 2, line 49, delete "grade beam" and insert it to appear after "footing" Column 2, line 52 and 53, delete "provided by the excavat l2" and insert it to appear after "space" on line 53 Signed and sealed this 23rd day of March 1971 (SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER,JR. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents 1 :nnu Ian-1050 (10-69) UlCDMM-DC 60:1 

